I am considering attending UGA next semester. I am originally from NY, but have also lived out west, I do not have any ties to the southeast. How important do you think this is? Are there many networking opportunities available to UGA students, and do you know how employers in the area treat people from out of the state? Are you from Georgia? How are 2L and 3Ls doing in the job hunt this year? If you have any input on any of these topics that would be helpful, thanks.

1) I worked in GA on a 6 month project before, but thats the only thing about GA on my resume. No other ties, in fact I've moved around a ton my whole life so I don't really have ties anywhere.

Result? Almost none(at least in Atlanta area). I've had no problems getting interviews, GA is a big growing state with a lot of people from other states and countries. No one is surprised that people are moving here.

HOWEVER, I have found that when applying to smaller firms not in the Atlanta area and to judges, it seems that the GA people have a big advantage, which is understandable.

Networking- a ton. This is the heart of the GA legal network.

2) People are a lot more optimistic about the job market this year, and most of my friends have summer employment lined up already. OCI last fall wasnt massive but it was pretty good. Spring OCI, on the other hand, is pretty weak although I've heard that it has been stronger in previous years.

1. I heard somewhere that it is easy for out of state students to acquire residency for their second and third years. You mentioned you were out of state so I would imagine you have been through the process. Is it true that anyone can get it?

2. How do you like living in Athens? I have heard that the cost of living is really low, approximately what can one expect to pay in rent for a decent apartment?

1. It is incredibly easy to acquire residency. The list of what is required can be found at http://www.law.uga.edu/georgia-residency and even the things listed there are not all necessary. The more criteria that you satisfy, the higher the likelihood of gaining in-state, but if you satisfy them all (which isn't hard to do) you're basically guaranteed in-state. Of the 2L's that I've talked to every applicant for in-state was granted it.

2. Athens is great. If you're interested in the bar scene the selection of bars is enormous, the food options downtown (right next to campus) are varied and the food generally is quite good; and the cost of living is really low. The top-end per bedroom is going to be at the 1k/mo range, but there is absolutely no reason to spend that much. Most 1Ls are paying somewhere between 300/mo and 550/mo for rent.

Second the above. Driver's license, registering to vote, bank account seem to be the holy trinity as far as residency goes. I was a GA resident from the start though, so thats only anecdotal.

If you're willing to live with other people its super cheap, as above 250-400/room, for myself I needed my own apartment and I pay 625 for a pretty big apartment in a gated community. So its far cheaper than many other places. True renter's market here in Athens with massive oversupply of rental housing.

Thanks for answering questions. I'm curious to get a student opinion of the Dean Rusk center and related international opportunities. They seem to be fairly well hyped by the school but do they actually provide any legitimate training or benefit to those interested in the international space?

Also I have a year old chihuahua, no his name is not Bruiser, how hard is it to find pet friendly housing?

A big thing with Dean Rusk is the Global Internship Program which I think around 40 students did last semester, making it pretty popular. The $1500 from the school (likely covering at least your flight) is a nice draw for that.

However, the internships are a VERY mixed bag. Some people loved theirs, some people absolutely hated theirs. It's really luck of the draw. I went myself and didnt enjoy it that much. But the program at heart is a really cool concept I think, none of them are these stupid 'internships abroad' where its really just something that you pay for. They are all real internships. Whether you will enjoy the country you go to or whether the internship location knows what to do with you when you get there is another story.

To your second question: very easy. Of course pet deposits will be required anywhere.

I did my 1L at UGA and it is a wonderful school. Having a basis for comparison now, I can say that the professors at UGA take their teaching responsibilities very seriously and it makes for a fantastic learning environment.

Thanks that is good to know. I'm really interested in the china program but I speak Spanish Chinese and some Russian some German so I guess I'm open to several options. Do you think it would be reasonable to try to audit undergrad language classes? I know it's probably a bad idea 1L but maybe after that?

All but one of the GIP placements work in english, there is only one that requires language skills (spanish specifically), that one is in Argentina I believe.

Language classes: They wont allow you to do it in 1L year, but after that its fine. There are two wrinkles:

1) you have to register for the class, taking up credit hours and you cant go beyond 18. So you have to factor that in.

2) The undergrad schedule(timing) arrangement is different from the law school so it may be difficult to find a language class that doesnt conflict. I myself had this problem, I have wanted to register for a language class for the last 2 sems but had conflicts both times.

On the plus side, you dont have to pay any extra for the language class.

Transferthrowaway wrote:Just wanted to chime in:

I did my 1L at UGA and it is a wonderful school. Having a basis for comparison now, I can say that the professors at UGA take their teaching responsibilities very seriously and it makes for a fantastic learning environment.

And thanks, Transferthrowaway, always good to hear that, especially since I have no basis for comparison! Glad to know we're in good hands.

i just got an acceptance from UGA. based on what ive read, it is a very attractive option for me considering the schools I have been admitted to. However, I am out of state and although it would still be significantly cheaper than other schools assuming I get in state 2L and on, I would obviously still prefer to not pay out of state tuition my first year. Do any of you know if UGA gives out scholarships to many students, when I would receive this type of information ( I havent got any information yet besides the acceptance email), and if they negotiate with students who are seriously interested in the school?

Not sure when you would get the info (although seems like all scholarship info is sent out later than acceptances), but UGA gives out a (seemingly) ton of 'Tuition Equalization' scholarships to people that are out of state, allowing them to pay in-state for the first year (and then you can get instate 2&3rd year by your actions as discussed above). I know a LOT of people who got them. They didnt negotiate much when I entered because they got the most apps they ever got, but thats what you need to ask them for.

The UGA website estimates that the total cost of attendance for a resident is 34,100, allotting 11,100 for room and board, 1,230 for transportation and 2,500 for personal expenses. Based on your experience is this accurate? Is it easy to spend a lot less than that? In terms of transportation is it common for students to be able to live close enough to walk to the campus? If you can comment on any of these questions that would be appreciated, thank you.

gabewatch wrote:The UGA website estimates that the total cost of attendance for a resident is 34,100, allotting 11,100 for room and board, 1,230 for transportation and 2,500 for personal expenses. Based on your experience is this accurate? Is it easy to spend a lot less than that? In terms of transportation is it common for students to be able to live close enough to walk to the campus? If you can comment on any of these questions that would be appreciated, thank you.

gabewatch wrote:The UGA website estimates that the total cost of attendance for a resident is 34,100, allotting 11,100 for room and board, 1,230 for transportation and 2,500 for personal expenses. Based on your experience is this accurate? Is it easy to spend a lot less than that? In terms of transportation is it common for students to be able to live close enough to walk to the campus? If you can comment on any of these questions that would be appreciated, thank you.

I think it is certainly possible to spend less than that, but it depends on your lifestyle. If you don't eat out, don't blow tons of money at the bar, and live somewhere with modest rent, you could definitely get by with a lot less. Personally, I tend to eat out a lot, which raises my costs significantly, but I still spend less than what is indicated in your allotment.

I think the COA figure is rather high, its hard for me to make an exact answer because I have a family (wife + 1 kid), but my total room and board for one year for all three of us (including living in a big 2 bedroom apartment) is around 13k(including cable/internet). So for a law student, alone, sharing an apartment or with a 1br, should be able to spend a lot less than that.

That transportation number is ridiculous to me, but if you are driving everywhere I guess it could be your gas money for the year. The bus system is extensive and "free" for UGA students (paid for in student fees). The UGA bus system is also pretty good and there are certain areas that it serves which are off campus. You may have to walk a few minutes to get to a bus stop and time your day well, but we spend hardly any money on transportation besides gas to go to the grocery store or a movie.

Almost everything you want to do is downtown anyways. And there is a TON of housing near the campus. 909 Broad is pretty popular with law students and it is 10-15 mins walk.